3 NEW THIS MORNING ... IT'S BACK TO THE FUTURE IN A GROWING SPORT. SOME LACROSSE PLAYERS ARE NOW PLAYING WITH WOODEN STICKS INSTEAD OF THE MORE MODERN METAL ONES. AND A SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY MAN HAS SUDDENLY FOUND HIMSELF AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE CHANGE. 3 --nats of saw-- IN HIS GARAGE WOODSHOP IN YORK COUNTY... ANDY DEARDORFF MAY JUST BE LEADING A SMALL REVOLUTION... EVEN IF IT IS A BIT UNEXPECTED.--nats-- 22:33:28 "I never saw myself in this role." IT ALL STARTED A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN ANDY MADE SOME WOODEN LACROSSE STICKS FOR HIS SONS. THEY CAUGHT THE EYE OF SOME PLAYERS AT A LOCAL LACROSSE SHOP ... AND SOON ANDY WAS MAKING THE WOODEN SHAFTS FOR OTHERS. 22:23:32 Then it slowly, slowly, it was like 2 a month. Then it was 3 a month. Then it was one a week. It slowly, slowly started taking off." THAT'S HOW RIPWOOD LACROSSE WAS BORN. ANDY NOW SHIPS 300 TO 500 SHAFTS A WEEK. FOR SOME PLAYERS ... A CHANGE TO THE TRADITIONAL WOOD STICKS IS STARTING TO CATCH ON. 22:24:23 "They want to look at what else it out there. What can we do to be just a little different but maybe a little better." FOR ANDY'S HANDCRAFTED PRODUCT... IT ALL STARTS WITH THE WOOD. 21:56:25 "I'm going through one of these hacks in a month right now." ANDY BUYS ASH FROM UPSTATE PENNSYLVANIA... AND PICKS OUT WOOD FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE TREES THAT HE SAYS IS EXTRA SPRINGY. THEN... IN THE SHOP... IT'S ALL ABOUT STRAIGHT, STRONG GRAIN.22:05:32 "Right here, this section is just about perfect." --nats--- 22:07:49 "So when I cut a lacrosse shaft out of this piece right here, it's going to be awesome." ANDY SAYS THE FINISHED PRODUCT IS BETTER THAN THE MORE EXPENSIVE METAL STICKS.27:17:44 "It's hard to quantify, but players swear by the fact that when they're getting checked, the ball stays in much better than with a metal shaft." WHICH IS WHY THE TRADITIONAL MAY BE THE FUTURE IN LACROSSE... WITH RIPWOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL.22:33:07 "If you really want to get into lacrosse, you really want to play, the next level is wood lacrosse shafts." 3 A RIPWOOD WOODEN LACROSSE SHAFT COSTS ABOUT 50-DOLLARS... SIGNIFICANTLY CHEAPER THAN MOST METAL SHAFTS. AND ANDY SAYS HIS WOODEN STICKS OFTEN BREAK LESS QUICKLY THAN